this was the hardest decision i ever made..
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- Опубліковано 8 сер 2024
- We need to talk about college.
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I started editing some videos on my M1 Pro MacBook instead of the PC setup and I cannot figure out the color - Davinci Resolve to export looks so different so apologies I’m more pink in todays video 😂😂😂
Hi Sara! I've heard about this problem! (I think it was Tyler Stalman?) It has to do with an advanced setting on export with the gamma needing to be changed to rec 709-A, if I recall correctly.
im batman
Pink and peachy? 😅🤣
May be a hot take, but I think the majority of software development roles today could be done without a college degree. I'd argue a bootcamp has potential to be better and that an apprenticeship is likely best of all given the right mentor.
Please
A lecturer of mine literally said “you aren’t going to university for yourself. But for your parents”. I think about that sometimes.
Self taught developer here.
I got my associates degree in programming and even that wasn’t worth it. My dad paid for it, which I am very grateful for. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have gone.
I mostly had lazy and condescending professors. Everything that got me my current dev job was self-taught through making projects, watching videos, and reading docs.
You do NOT need a degree to become a developer. You need projects and the ability to network.
I got a BS in computer science and engineering, debt free. You pretty much teach yourself in university. It was pretty useless.
LOL yup
I mean, you don't, that's true, but getting employed without one is getting increasingly more difficult when almost every job listing I see for development work requires a relevant master's degree or higher.
@@Trillykins That's the issue. I just got a masters in Data Science. The program was trash. Doing it for the degree...
You can get a good paying developer job without a degree?
I have always advocated for people to send their kids on a "gap year" after school. Do an apprenticeship somewhere, take short courses on a variety of topics. Go do volunteer work.
Young people first need to learn who they are before taking long term career decisions.
This is a very good advice. I've been doing that as well and it allows them time to see if college for them or not. Most the time these kids will choose op out of college and find more success. The ones in college are stuck paying bills.
My mom took a gap year in 1980. She instead worked at McDonald's for a year before pursuing college in LA.
I did community college for two years and transferred into university. Such a good move. The biggest thing you miss in my opinion is just joining as a freshman and getting those friends early on, but that didn’t matter to me when I was thinking about what I wanted to do with my life, and I still made friends. Plus I saved THOUUUSANDS of dollars.
So many people need to hear this! I worked at a university for 15 years and saw many students who were there because it was "expected" not because they wanted to be there.
Parent always want what best for their kids. If you have clear path on what you want to do, go for it and tell your parents your plan. If not then it is best to listen to your parent.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS VIDEO SARA... 😭 I'm literally at that point of realizing that all my college is a plan B and the little hobbies/passion I do during the classes is what I really want to do and pursue. This video just made my day and possibly made my career. I'm so grateful, hugs from Brazil!
You’re a really good storyteller. Thank you american college scams for forcing Sara Dietschy rhymes with Peachy to dropout and pursue her dreams.
"College takes what you love and makes you hate it." is the best quote!
My degree helped me get the software engineering roles I've been in thus far, but wow did I learn 10x just watching youtube videos and building something myself (albeit youtube was young at the time). Thank goodness I picked a "reasonably priced" (🙄) 9k/semester school.
I'm on the tail end of Gen X, and I went to college in 1997. When I started at The University of Georgia in 1997, tuition & fees were $3,200/year. Tuition and fees now are $11,180/year. That is a 350% increase in costs! Room and board was also significantly less expensive then than now.
To put that in perspective, I had a part-time job at Target making $8/hour when I started college. I could have saved enough money to afford college if I worked a ton in the summer and then maintained 20 hours/week during school. This was at the flagship public university in my state! It is simply not possible now for someone to do that.
But that's not the saddest part. The saddest part is that none of my "grown up jobs" that I have had required a college degree. They often want you to have one to get in the door, but the degree is not necessary. Yet we (as a culture) have allowed ourselves to be fooled into thinking that a college degree is the only avenue to success. It has been beaten into our heads so long. Yet college degrees do not offer anywhere near the value that they did in the past.
Sara, you have developed skills as a UA-camr that will translate very well to other positions when/if the UA-cam thing burns out. You have managed a business, kept up with accounting, marketed your business, and dealt with contract negotiations. And these are just the things that I see from the outside looking in that are obvious. What college degree would have prepared you for this?
I have an 11 year old daughter, and two 8 year old sons. I am encouraging them to think about some sort of post-secondary education, but not necessarily college. The trades are lucrative now, especially as we have fewer and fewer people going into them. Businesses have already started to dial down the credential inflation that has run rampant in the past 20+ years. Many people are better served by targeted training in a field, rather than a broad base. There are far too many people in college who cannot write well and have poor reading comprehension skills. We (again, as a culture) have allowed every subject to become a "science." Not everything needs to have the shit scienced out of it.
I’m a community college dropout who graduated high school 20 years ago and makes $300K a year… and I had no student loan debt.
I got a job in my 20s at a company as a graphic designer and web designer with just a portfolio and no degree. Went on to work at a New York Ad agency.
Earned more freelancing that at my job and eventually even more as a content creator.
If someone wants a traditional career they should get a degree without the debt by reverse engineering scholarship qualifications…
Companies need to ditch college requirements and replace them with "prove it" tests. Beyond Photography/Videography, I teach English in Japan, and the only obstacle I faced when looking for a job is schools wanting a BA. At this point 9/10 schools want to hire me with little questions in this regard, as I simply press to demo my skills with students before lengthy interviews.. and I rock the house beyond their hopes and dreams. Early on I felt compelled to blurt out, "I don't have an actual BA, but have most the credits" and lost allot of potentially nice jobs. Bottom line is, we live in a world where anyone can learn Anything without ever stepping in a classroom. For a very long time some of the brightest individuals have been starved from achieving their potential because of financial or other systematic obstacles needless placed in front of them.
Living at home and pursuing degrees that you didn’t like were mistakes. College changed my life in the best possible way but you have to be in the right place for yourself.
What did you study and what year were u in college
This is a very needed video for anyone considering college, prior to a career. I went the whole path of earning a degree in Mechanical Engineering, and worked 3 years in the field, just to find out it was nothing like I expected. It was boring, no hands on like I wanted, so I started a business on the side doing what I really wanted to do, quit my job, and for the last 10 years been doing my own thing. No regrets! I tell people all the time, what you have stated in this video. I always get shocked or crazy looks, because its so different than what society tells us we should do. Thank you SO much for having the courage for posting this video, and I hope that college-seeking, or college-forced individuals see this and become enlightened. You nailed every important point.
Wow Sara’s been killing it with these “new” types of videos lately!
I too did the dropout thing. Glad I did. I'm a huge advocate for internships... hands-on experience, building relationships and networking, etc
College / University FORCES you to meet new people. If you actively choose to do it for yourself, you get just as good of a network, and if you get into an industry you want to work in you'll get a way more useful network way quicker. Sara, amazing video as usual. All the best with Lab 22!
New subscriber (Linus sent me). Such a similiar story to my college experience. Aerospace Engineer dropout here. Downgraded* to a much cheaper local school finished BS in Mechanical Engineering Technology (more of an Applied engineering- CAD/CAM, robotics etc). I repair/install fancy CNC machines now
I totally felt this. Even tho I was never good in school, I was pressued to to go to college and go to uni and get my white picket fence and own a home in the suburban areas. Like being Asian, a lot of people expect me to excel but I was never wired for that. So there I was 5 years into community college and spending 2 sems in a private art school and still not knowing my direction and failing most of my classes. But I still felt like I should stay because that's what I grew up thinking, go to college or be nothing. So just to give it a shot, I got a job at a local newspaper as a graphic designer and slowly dropped out of college. after that, I felt a wieght lift off me, no mroe am I worrying about FAFSA or laons or grades, just put in my 8 hours and go home and be myself. Also once I finally finsihed paying off my loans for school, I had so much extra money! Like I feel college is a good place to go for some people. Like if you're fresh from high school and still figuring things out, go for it! Go for a community college and study! But Know yourself. If you we're never good at school, college can be fine, but it's a 40% better expereince than grade school, but still has a lot of similarities. For people who never went or dropped out, YOU ARE NOT BROKEN! We don't grade a fish's ability to climb a tree the sam eway we grade a monkey's. You're life is out there! Keep looking!
My attendance at high school was sporadic to say the least. I didn't show up for half of my exams. I went to collect to study IT and catch-up. I didn't go to university, I started work after college at 20 (you leave high school at 16 in the UK, then go to college before Uni). After gaining experience in that job for 8 months, I got a new job. I managed to double my salary every 3 years. I self-study a LOT in my specialization. I'm now living in the US on well over $300k a year. You do not NEED to be part of this awful system.
Great video Sara.
This is why I believe people should study what they are passionate about. You weren't a EE or CS person but majored in them because that was the "responsible" thing to do / STEM has all the scholarship money. The problem is that is costs $15,000 a semester to study philosophy at a university and the job prospects are bleak.
I just kept learning everything about tech on my own because I love it. Learning what I love on my own got me a wonderful job that pays me enough to do everything I want to do and I have no college debt. Go meet people and do what you love and make it practical.
this is the best video. you already earned my respect watching your videos for over a year but this just takes it to another level!! absolutely awesome!
It was great hearing about your college experience because mine went similar. I was a creative person who wanted to pursue some form of graphics design but was told in high school from guidance counselors and others that no money can be made and I should look at something else. I felt rushed and decided to pursue a bachelors in nursing (specifically because it paid decently well). Fast forward 2 years and I started my 2nd year in college unmotivated, unhappy, skipped classes and even tests. Overtime through my hobby, I found my passion for UX Design so I made the choice to drop out and be a completely self-taught UX Designer. 5 years later I'm making more money than I ever thought I would in my 20's, have a fantastic remote job working with amazing people and most importantly, I enjoy what I do. It was A LOT of work to get here but I'm happy I made the decision early enough that I was burdened with an insane amount of student loan debt!
Sara I think this is your best Video ever! Real life experience is priceless, sharing it with others is te mark of a wonderful Soul, thanks.
I feel like having a degree has made some people react positively to me, but that was back in 2009. 13+ years later and things have changed.
Love how you handled this topic. So great! I think the last two years where everyone was at home has proved if you’re dedicated you will succeed
Wow...I have been watching you since before your viral video! Has it been that long? I never finished college and everything turned out OK. Went to a trade school (radio), took courses, read a lot of books, started businesses, went through several career changes, and everything worked out OK.
Excellent video Sara, and see you turned out so successful. Thanks for sharing!
Sara, I have been a subscriber of yours for at least three year now. Going back to when I had a mere 500 subscribers on my channel. Though I've grown to about 5.5K at this point, working a day-job as a Professional Engineer (which I hate), I find myself only looking forward to retiring. I just want to say that this has been my "Big Pay Off" of all the videos of yours that I have watched, learned from, and enjoyed. Even though I've learned an enormous amount about cameras and video creation from you, this video of yours is the the most valuable one I have ever watched.
I have had my ups and downs with my educational and my ensuing career, eventually being considered a success by all my friends and relatives, however I have never been 100% fulfilled. Even with three degrees, a PE License, multiple other career certifications, and a six-figure salary after nearly 35 years, I still feel that I have not succeeded. I guess that is why I turned to trying my hand as a Tech You-tuber 3.5 years ago. Although you are the age of my oldest daughter, this video has inspired me.
THANK YOU Ms. Dietschy 🙂
Great story! Thanks for sharing that perspective. It is insane how expensive school is.
Thank you so much for sharing this story. I feel like I'm in a similar spot that you were when you decided to move into UA-cam. I made it through my Comp.Sci. degree at an in-state school, checked the boxes, got the job. Great, right? No. I hate the work. I loved learning and building, but so much of it is gone in a professional environment. Now I'm almost 10 years into this career, and I'm seriously considering moving towards UA-cam. Thank you for this inspiration.
Thank you for sharing your story Sara:) I’m so glad your happy now and extremely proud of you for following your dreams. You’re such a sweetheart 💗 Your honesty has inspired me.. “My one thing to everyone” Please don’t ever forget the magic of your dreams. 🌟
Thank you for making this video! (Been waiting for it since you announced you were gonna make it last week!!) I relate to this on some levels. I lived at home and spent maybe 5/6 years at community college. I stuck with art mostly, but I also double majored in American Sign Language (fell in love with the language and became my fall back.) Then later on I finally transfer to finish out my degree at a state University which is well known for its business and technology programs and I think now more so their art programs. (My degree is in Graphic Design but I also Minored in Photography.) also didn't just save money by staying at home, but I applied for FASFA and Waivers that really helped me with paying for school while working my low paying and part time job as a full time student.
What was so great about my experiences is because with community college I failed a few courses (worse subjects) but didn't cost an arm and a leg to take again. Same thing with double majoring and then taking more classes in other subjects I was interested in. Not only that, but when I was taking other courses that actually helped me get ahead when I transferred and wanted to take more art classes, I ended up taking photography classes that became my minor and didn't put me behind when I graduated.
But at the beginning of my college experience and then after I transferred up to the end of the first year I didn't know if I was cut out for Graphic Design, if I could do it. Then after that first year, things just kind of fell into place and felt so right that this is what I wanted and it was right.
However that is just my experience. I know college isn't for everyone, but I do feel and believe that everyone could benefit from some community college. That way can learn some new skills that wouldn't have otherwise. Plus how to prioritize your time between school, work, and personal life. And it is. a lot cheaper than any. University .
I'm so happy you made this video! I made a similar decision after a semester of college in 2014, but with no plan A unfortunately. Took the time to explore a bunch of different jobs and figure out who I am and what I want. Fast forward 6 years, I found programming, started by own business building websites on the side, and 2 years later officially just started my first job as a front end developer, making more money than I've ever made before, no degree required (even though all the job listings say you need one), no debt. While it took me a bit longer than you, I also found my own way after realizing college was a waste of my time and money, and had A LOT of fun finding my way to my career. It's POSSIBLE! I wish I had this video when I decided to drop out!
I resonate with this hard. I dropped out of college after 2 years. I was going to school for digital cinema studies and came to the grim realization that my professors had no clue what they were teaching. I knew that I had skills and knowledge that exceeded that of anything the school could teach me, but my parents convinced me to stay for as long as I did. I truly thought if I didn't get a degree that I would be forever working horrible wage jobs. Fast forward 6 years, dropping out was the best thing I could have ever done. I've gotten job after job without any issues, and I do quite a bit of freelance work. I'm now making more money than I ever thought was possible. I feel very strongly that the university system in America is a straight scam. Sure, we have our doctors and lawyers that need to go to school (I'd like to have a doctor that has accredited schooling), but even for those folks, the schooling is unsustainably expensive. Thankfully I had very little debt coming out of all of this. I just feel so bad for the people that have like 50k+ in loans for a degree that was basically worthless.
I am going to college to be a teacher right now. I want to be that teacher that encourages students to finish their degree. A lot of times colleges keep old teachers because they are the cheapest to retain. Unfortunately, that ruins the experience of the class. There are a lot of things wrong with U.S. Education but this something I want to change. I may be one person but teaching students to be more of a go-getter will be enough for me to keep going. I can only hope the overall situation gets better.
This is a great video Sarah, great for taking the responsibility to create awareness on this.
Sara this was a great take on your journey. I have respected your journey and growth from that time. You have come far.
LOVE YOUR VIDEOS!
you are saying EVERYTHING i have experienced, glad I'm not alone
Thank you for staying who you truly are while making the videos, it clearly shows that you love what you do. TBH it's a big inspiration. Just came across your channel and it was worth hanging on to.
I went to college, a couple indeed. They are all just information silos, none of which has anything that you cannot access online. In fact, I spent more time watching youtube tutorials to help me get through my course work. UA-cam as a platform has access to a vast number of talented people who can deliver materials way better than any faculty from a single college can. The only thing they have left going for them is accreditation, which will soon be an anachronism in the not too distant future. We live in the era of free market. You can get information anyway you want. As long as you are able to develop a marketable skill, every one involved in the transaction will be happy.
I was a financial aid counselor at a university for awhile, and I can say I did my friggin darndest to make sure those kiddos knew what they were getting into and gave them strategies to reduce debt, and then how to aggressively and strategically pay off debt using the existing options and vehicles in the system. I paid off $80K of student loan debt after 2.5 years of being out of college (I paid some off while in college) off of a $45K a year salary plus $15K from a part time job and all of those strategies I taught. I wanted those kids to have the same freedom I had. Also, sometimes you gotta put in short term sacrifices for long-term gain. I don't regret working extra during college
I needed this "sometimes you gotta put in short term sacrifices for long-term gain"
Such a great story. Such good advice. Across the board. I’m a fan.
Love the inspiration!!!
So glad you made this video!! I literally dropped out today, and I want to go full time with my creative work soon, but gonna have to save a little first
In other words: People, follow your dreams. It's all that matters
Thank you for this Sara!
What you said about the Advisors are soo true;
They have advising yet never really evaluate students and let us know what various courses entail and what would be better for them
Loved hearing this story, very relatable!
that's what i ran into in 2004, they want you to take high school classes you already took your first 3 years of college, and i was like, okay, why did i make an effort to score good on the SATs again? isn't that why we take SATs to see where we stand on a college level, then use classes to fill in the gaps? i wanted to jump right into core classes and figure things out without the bullshit intro classes that wasted my money, so i dropped out and did my own learning, developed my own skills on my free time, got a job to pay for my learning resources, and at age 38 i can virtually tell you everything about anything
I’m currently going through the college system right now. Many of the courses I’ve taken are only slightly different from what I’ve taken in high school. That has made things easier, but it is one big time burning/exhausting process. The only benefit that I have right now is that I am taking the intro classes and a few core classes at a community college. So, I am getting an associates (more affordable) to transfer to a university for my bachelor’s … and I still don’t have the confidence that either will help me find a job. I’ve noticed what you said about self learning as well, as most of the material in my core classes is stuff I’ve exposed myself to before in high school with personal projects. My goal is to have a useless slip of paper that verifies that I did coursework, while delving into self driven projects to show that I have some competency. I’d say you didn’t get the best start with college, but you found a great path.
Ok, tell me about bioengineering.
@@wolfamadeus6932 well, let's see, bio-engineering is the splicing of single cells, removing the genetic material, and introducing the genetic material to new genetic material in order to get a new genome result such as the goat that produces spider silk, or the mouse that glows in the dark, or the newest breakthrough of genome repair therapy that is making cancer disappear without chemotherapy, need me to continue?
@@vrproject4k882 But that does not mean you're an expert, does it?
@@wolfamadeus6932 considering i studied the field for 6 years, yes it does
Watching this while returning to college after taking a few years just being a barista and spending my time reading a bunch of books😅
Stick with it! Finishing a college degree makes your earning potential so much greater than someone who does not.
@@Kyle-ke1zj it depends on the degree he gets just don't blatantly say go to college lol
@@Thai.H Very good point. The degree you get does matter, especially if you are going into debt to get it!
I had the complete opposite experience. Upon entering law school I wasn’t even sure why I landed there but after some years there, it made me really love the intricacies of State and power, law and history, wow… some 17 years after, I am no longer a “real lawyer”, but rather a technology / telecom regulatory senior counsel at a very cool tech company.. so it was great the years of formation and “love for the trade” that University infused into me although I ended-up drifting away.. I.e. finding my real passion somewhere else.. anyways.. love your latest videos!!! Few people are really speaking their HEARTS lately on social media.. kudos for that Sarah!!
Wow ! I attended Cal State System years ago, 1977-1983, Back then they encouraged you to take G.E. courses your first couple of years , then declare a major. It was hard work back then, working part time three days, and going to school . It took me 5 years to graduate. Back then everybody wanted to be a business major, or get a MBA. I had friends that majored in business. I was a history major. Business job recruiters wanted us liberal arts students rather than the business majors because we could think"outside the box". I did take a few computer courses, punch cards and basic and Cobol. The costs have gone crazy now. Back then it was 105.00 a semester. Books were way more than that. Of course I never did teach, but ended up in the automotive industry as I worked at a auto dealership back then. What I can tell you young people is if you go to any college or even a trade school, do what you enjoy in life. Money isn't every thing.
I definitely felt this video and I forgot about the adobe creative residency! But that's so true now that there are so many other options to build the lifestyle you want that doesn't mean you have to go to college! I'm just starting the journey of doing what I want to do outside of the field I went to college for. A lot of knowledge was dropped here! 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Thank you for your insight and perspective. Outstanding content as always 👍😎
Happy for you having parents who had enough financial literacy to help you. My parents had no idea about money and my husband's parents actually encouraged him to take out loans because they needed money. I also didn't have the choice of a community college but my family made me move out at 18 and community college near us didn't have dorms. Student loan companies prey on 18 year olds in these situations. We are doing great now and have paid off our loans, but no one should have to struggle like we did.
"This girl Sara really represents what is great about UA-cam" still rings true. Thanks for making this video - more people need to hear this!
Great vid Sara! So many young people who assume college is the only path need to see this video. Colleges & gov have worked together for years to take advantage of young people by building that assumption; we all have to work together to start tearing it down!
Going into my senior year of HS. I’m constantly hearing how important college is and at the same time I hear how you can make it in life without college. Many kids from my town are going to a nearby private university about $45k a year to show off that their rich. My thought process about college is spiraling out of control 😂
Great advice!
YESSS! Please! Mini courses 😍
My parents wanted me to go to college, but I never thought it was worth it.
I learned programming, taxes, trading/investing, real estate, business, and critical thinking on my own without college education or a degree.
What people fail to understand sometimes is that education and knowledge is not limited and restricted within the confines of any school or educational institution.
Knowledge and Education comes from "people" and "experience." What you personally experience in life IS education as well as the people you meet who can teach you things that you've never learned before.
Most of the "teachers" in your life aren't going to be employed by a school or institution, nor should they be.
Colleges have a direct incentive to making you believe otherwise. If they can't fool you into thinking that a degree is the ONLY way, then they will lose both money and prestige, to say the least.
The benefits of college are very "specific and particular", and if your life/career goals don't require those specific and particular requirements, then you should ask yourself if it's really worth it.
After all, what good is a college degree if no one else other than you and your family cares about it? If you can't get employed with it, was it worth it? Is it just a personal goal for yourself and only that?
Everyone has to decide for themselves.
😃😃😃
The thing is that not everyone can be discipline enough to learn on their own especially when you are talking about 18-year-old.
Thank you for sharing this story in one comprehensive take.
Looking back, part of me wishes I passed on going to college and instead invested in filmmaking or game design or anything else I had dreamed of doing, but instead sidelined in favor of chasing after degrees that were supposed to lead to stable forms of employment that have proved to be anything but in the decade plus that followed. (I, in fact, am writing this from my high school bedroom right now as I am visiting my folks, and I can’t help but wonder: what if I had just ___ instead?)
…that said, as a Xennial, I suppose I am thankful to have attended college at a time when it was - heavy air quotes incoming - “affordable.” I too ended up attending an out-of-state private school, and the only reason I had been able to do so was thanks to the scholarship that I earned from high school…which ended up being extremely hard to keep, as little did I know the college I had chosen to attend was notorious for grade deflation. It seriously was not a joke when students would say “you have to leave the country to get an A here” because basically the only time I nabbed an A for my work at this college was when I studied abroad, and I swear the quality of what I did was really no different whatsoever.
In any case, the larger point I wanted to make here is that years later, as a high school teacher, in Teacher Life 6 out of 7 (yes - another saga for another time!), I taught high school seniors weighed down by the heavy toll of covid, and I could not in good conscience tell them that college would be worth their trouble as they shared how well aware they were about how much debt they were about to incur, regardless of where they were planning to attend. The morale of these young men and women and non-binary folks had been hit so hard by the pandemic, and it was just not possible to use college as any sort of motivator because the price tag for anywhere any of them we’re considering going to was just so outrageous…I mean, how could college possibly be a motivator anymore? If the college I had attended cost as much as it costs today, I would not have gone because I would not in good conscience want to put myself or my family on the hook for that kind of insane debt, even with the benefit of having some kind of scholarship.
It’s really all wildly out of control. I can’t imagine if I am ever fortunate enough to have kids of my own someday what college will cost for them by the time they’re old enough to consider it.
LOVED this. Had some similar issues with college and wanting to do creative things, though I do think majoring in film helped to make me stay in school. Granted, I likely would have never left (due to parents & expectations and stuff) but I definitely really really wanted to many many times and I'm not sure how "worth it" the degree itself was. Luckily, everything ended up working out but yeah, heavily related to this.
Loved it! Life lessons from Sara Dietschy! Great advice.
Girl. Yes ma’am. As a 29 year old.. I’m still figuring out what I wanna do with my life. Lol The pressure being put on young people to have their life figured out at 17 years old is crazy.
loved the video. higher education is always necessary but it necessarily doesnt need to be in a classroom. I went to UNC for Television/Film...who wouldve thought UA-cam would come along and what i did was "useless" 🙂 But seriously, i dont regret it because i originally went to school for dentistry (HATED IT!!!) and fell into film classes. So it set me in the right direction afterwards. Relationships and Networking is the real key in college. You never know who you and your classmates will become.
Dropped out of college (twice) and don’t regret it. If you count the costs, following a passion that’s proven it works is worth it!
I totally feel you. I went for Civil engineering and graduated but was not (and still not) passionate about it. Parents put so much pressure on you but you gotta choose for yourself. Started a youtube channel too seeing where it goes. :)
I tell my similar story all the time. Parents try to make an example of me to their kids saying “tell them you went to college to do this” and I’m like “honestly I was terrible in school. I never went to college and I’m not the best businessman but the mistakes I’ve made do not equal the cost of going to college and I’m already loving my job”… then a few years back I made bluetile shirts that say “never go to college”.
I am a Senior Prototype machinist at a large government contractor. I am getting tuition reimbursed right now so going to school is kind of a no brainer. however.... I make decent money and if I finish the engineering degree that I am going for I would actually take a pay cut with the jobs I could get. The trades pay better at first but after say 5-10 years of working the ceiling is way higher with someone who has a degree. I say if you can do it for free or cheap do it if not do what makes you money now.
Edit hahaha you showed a pic of Boulder. It's nice living here... ahhaha
This is one of the best video ever!!!
Awesome video! As someone with a Bachelors of Computer Science and now almost have a PhD in CS, all the stuff you mentioned learning IS important - but not for everyone. And I 100% agree that high school counselors SUCK ASS. They don’t know ANYTHING. They just have the dumb requirements on the program’s website and that’s it. I’m glad you made the right decision for you!
I’m so glad someone is saying this
Man this is an interesting point! I'm at that point for splitting between HS and college. And the stupid thing is I know I am hireable but I still need some kind of item to add to my resume to just make it a bit more to stand out. IDK hard to say. Maybe in a year I'll just be off working and drop out
Fantastic video!!
As a professional in the IT industry without a college degree and father of a 13 year old who is starting to inquire about colleges and education, I can't agree more with Sara here.
"Everything in the middle is useless" statement is spot-on. If you're passionate and good on what you do, you'll succeed.
i definitely wish i had seen a video or two like this when I was making this decision (probably around the same time as you). in a lot of debt from a decision, I made when I was like 17 with very little information about what my options actually were or what I was actually going to want to do after college. i could probably afford a larger mortgage if I didn't have to pay $700 a month for a degree I got 7 years ago. sure, it helped in some ways with getting opportunities, but I don't think it helped $100k worth or that I couldn't have gotten similar opportunities just going into work or a trade school or something (my degree is in film and media).
I went to college, got a B.S in Computer Information Systems. Thankfully I was in the military, so I didn't pay with money, I just gave up the best years of my youth for a G.I Bill. I love computers, love tech, DETEST even looking at a line of code now.
I was living in the UK where you generally leave high school at 16. I had the option the stay on or 2 more years, to learn computer science, for free.
The classes where terrible. I was learning more advanced stuff in my free time. School just felt pointless.
I left when I was 17 and got a full time job.
School isn't for everyone.
I was like that for a long time. I only had five or six classes left but I just didn't have it in me to finish then. So I dropped out because I finally realized that it was me that had to make the decision. I was finally able to finish later so I could get a job in the field, but this is a great story! So many people need to hear this, college isn't for everyone and it's really hard for some people to focus on classes when they could be working instead.
SO important message here Sara! 💝 it's bit different here in Finland but still, yes 👍
Thank you.
I went to college AND graduate school to become a public school teacher, which didn’t pay nearly enough to keep up with my massive student loan burden. So when I stumbled into an opportunity to pivot into an entirely different career path, you bet I did. And I’m so happy I got that chance.
The entire education system in this country is ripe for disruption. We just need the right mix of innovators to step up.
For me, the decision not to go to college was made in high school, especially after I went on the mandatory tour. My issue with college back then was the cost for what you get didn't make sense, and the push for it seemed weird with how many people mentioned I should go.
The other influence was my grades in high school were never great, and I even resorted to cheating in a few classes to make it through high school (to this day I'm glad they *mostly* overlooked the cheating because I almost did not graduate because of it but they also left getting out of that hole on me, which arguably worked more in my favor then a good report card) so I knew I was never going to make it into a "big name" college because of that. The reason is how I learn... If you tell me that I can have what everyone else has but I can do it without the college debt load I'll figure it out, same if I'm looking for equipment others have for example.
On the other hand if you tell me I need this to go to college and either go into debt or have a crippled bank account, I don't pick up easily (or at all) depending on the subject. Even in high school when I did tech school dual enrollment for 2 years (I didn't finish the remaining 2 to get the full degree, but I did make it to get the certification that came with the program) I was mostly in it for the credentials, since I already had the skillset from side pickups like if a neighbor was scrapping hardware and I got first pick at it but I had to figure out how to replace the removed hard drive or rig something up on a high school budget.
Yes I did get pushed on the matter back then but I regret no part of the decision I made about college.
Great advice! As someone with a bachelor's degree, I often tell people to look into community colleges as well. The jobs that require a degree don't care where it is from. They are more concerned about the real world experience or person's characteristics that they can bring to their organization. Honestly I owe every post college job I've landed to the experiences I gained from the Army and encourage any young 18 year old to join the military if they have no idea what they want to do. You can pick a skill you are interested in, get paid well to learn it, obtain experiences that none of your peers that did not serve will have, create a solid network of individuals that will help you score high paying civilian jobs, and if you want to go to college...it's paid for. Great videos Sara! Keep up the good work!
I remember being excited about computer programming when starting my magnet program in high school and after those classes I avoided programming for a while. I had a much better experience at HackReactor. Thankfully my parents paid for my undergraduate degree but if I had to take out loans there’s no way I’d have had the patience to actually spend the 4 years in Purdue engineering.
I graduated from a tech high school to become a CNC Programmer, cause I found that to be the most interesting career of all the technologies that were offered at that school at the time. I wound up at a small shop that paid me the least of everyone in my class, but I probably learned the most with the exception of maybe two people and ended up being able to get into CNC Programming.
However, when I tried to take what I learned from ten years at that job and move onto a different one that would pay me what I deserved, I learned that many manufacturing facilities (at least in CT where I live) don’t want programmers who don’t at least have an engineering degree. In many places I applied to, including where I’m currently working, for that position, the paper mattered more then the practical experience. I don’t agree with it, especially because as was pointed out by some in the comments and in this video, what they learned in class didn’t teach them anything about CNC Programming itself. I helped train one guy a few years ago who went to school for engineering, and he said while it helped him on the design side, he was learning that when it came time to actually run it on the machine, it was far different then he thought it would be. That’s not to say some things didn’t apply, but that he now knew the theory behind certain things was never going to fully apply to the practice of the job. Because there’s so many factors unaccounted for or that you just learn from the mistakes you’ve made doing it.
I’m happy I never went to college, school isn’t for me. However I do believe that, in my line of work, too many companies overvalue that sheet of paper vs the practical, hands on experience.
I went to University for four years in state (stayed home with family to save money) doing animation (Massachusetts), I am interested in 3D animation but I didn't get into 3D classes until the 3rd year of college. Of course there's the pandemic too so I stayed home, it was nice not to commute as often, just get homework and animation videos done and straight to bed lol. I am so grateful, I got a full ride scholarship so I graduated debt free. My family did not have a college fund at all. That being said, the burnout was real and I remember missing many nights of sleep just to get projects done, editing animation videos to send in before a deadline, so many history classes (history of animation is awesome, I liked that one), etc. I feel like there was so many filler classes and all I wanted to do was learn 3D animation. I wanted to learn coding in University but they mentioned about a different college and I didn't want to delay the four years, I thought to myself I'll finish this degree first and then find a coding bootcamp after University. If I didn't have a full ride scholarship I wouldn't have gone to college at all. Currently I've been learning to code online and still figuring out how to get better at video editing lol. I enjoy doing 3D gigs and working from home. I feel like nowadays if anyone wants to pursue working on the computer, all you need is internet, Google, UA-cam and build projects and show it to find work. I got through college thanks to Google and UA-cam. Even today I'm still learning how to do 3D animation in Maya. But overall I just love working on computer, being able to make animation, code, edit videos, and listen to music with headphones on.
Very similar journey for me. Math and stats degree, ended up doing freelance videography for 10 years and now I'm a creative director. I value the degree in that it exposed me to thinking differently than most people (safe to say this as a math major).
I wish I heard this lived experience when I was in high school and might've made some different decisions.
Awesome video 📸😀😀
I thank for making it.
Very good video!!!!!!! and SO SO TRUE!!!!!
I went to college. Then I got a masters. All my degrees are in things I’m passionate about and I really enjoyed doing them; however, I don’t use them in my day to day and work in something so incredibly opposite. I still have my passions but I think, looking back, I may have taken a different path. At the time, I didn’t really think I was allowed other options. All those expectations from parents, family, etc. really did inform my decisions. The “Good kids go to college” thing was very prevalent in Texas when I was growing up.
I'm sorry college didn't work out for you - but you wouldn't have known it wasn't your thing unless you'd gone. It's great that you found your passion sitting in the back of those classrooms - I love this channel.
as a computer engineering student I can feel every word you say, why I need to worry about calculus, algebra and history instead of 0&1s, programing, computer logics and other CE subjects, the more I study I fell more dropping for good
I really need to make a decision before the next semester, but its hard when you live in a degree community
I absolutely LOVED college as it provided an experience and a future I could not have done on my own. I strongly disagree that everything in the middle is "useless". However, the pursuit of a four-year college degree isn't for everyone. It's really ashamed someone didn't advise you of other options such as going for a two-year associate degree at a community college or technical school. I actually took some coding classes through a public technical school while working later in life on a Masters degree because they taught those type of courses better. As you said...the university courses often provide more of an information systems approach than an information technology approach. I agree with the crux of your video...if you're not sure college is going to help you reach your goals you should consider plenty of other options first.
Sound advice. I have 3 degrees and suffered a similar fate. I graduated, went off to school and bombed in yr 1. I was actually burnt out from being an A+ student from k through 12 and didn't even realize it until college. I ended up working blue collar jobs from 98-2010. But in 07 I made a decision to go back and finish school and by 2012 had 3 degrees including a masters. I did all this whole holding down a 40+ hr job. That being said I have degrees in math/business related field, today I work in business supporting blue collared workers and primarily doing programing work. The degrees were for me, not someone's expectations of me. I also found ways to pay for each semester and to come out debt free. I worked my normal job but also took side jobs to pay for books, classes etc. School isn't for everyone, but nothing comes easy. If you're dream is to be the next Sarah, well I am sure Sarah can a test that didn't happen by working a couple hours a day and expecting thousands of followers to just flock to her channel. Everything in life costs! Whether it is time, money, relationships, fun, etc. There is also risk in every decision, make sound, well informed decisions and don't be swayed by distractions and you can accomplish anything, but it will be WORK!
I just want to start by saying I'm probably way outside your demographic, but as a parent and a grandparent, I agree with you. If you're looking at college, make sure you know what you want to do, and don't expect college to help you make that decision. Community college, trade school, apprenticeships, even the military are all viable options.
I did two years of college at a state school (University of Maine) on my parent's dime, dropped out, got married, had a kid, found out the real world was really hard working as a small town radio DJ for a year. After being disillusioned I joined the Air Force, and finally (10 years after starting college) I finished my computer science degree. I became an officer and continued my learning in computers and networking, then the Air Force sent me to get my master's degree in computer science. My last three years in the Air Force I stumbled on my real passion, teaching. I taught AFROTC for three years, then retired from the AF and became a government contractor. Fast forward 7 years and my entire division got laid off, and I had to find a new job. I taught computer security at a small private college part time, but now I'm enjoying my childhood passion as a hobby and I'm actually a full-time minister at a church back up in Maine.
All that to say you never know what you are going to end up doing. Roll with it until you find your passion, and stick to that passion, no matter what other people think is right. Live your best dream.
That's great video. Thanks.